2018...

I made this for Father's Day brunch today.  It was a big hit!

Ham-and-Cheese Brioche Pudding

• Yield 6 servings
• Time 1 1/2 hours

Karsten Moran for The New York Times 

Bread pudding, an old-fashioned frugal dessert, usually contains day-old bread, milk, eggs and a bit of fruit, fresh or dried, baked in a sweet custard. This savory version, made with ham and cheese, employs tender buttery brioche. It is easier to make than a quiche, but has a similar delicacy, perfect for lunch or a light supper.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
• 1 (12-ounce) brioche loaf or smaller brioches, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups half-and-half or whole milk (I used half-and-half)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cayenne
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
• 6 ounces thinly sliced ham, cut crosswise into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces grated Gouda or Gruyère cheese (about 4 cups)  ( I used Gruyére)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 11-by-11-inch baking dish (or a 9 x 13  pan). Fill dish with brioche cubes and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and scallions. Pour mixture over cubes in baking dish.
3. Sprinkle ham and cheese on top of mixture, and press down to make sure everything is submerged. Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Transfer baking dish and baking sheet to the middle shelf of the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the dish emerges dry. Let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Better Late Than Never... 2017

It's been over a year since I posted a new recipe.  In my defense, Rich and I moved to our new home in Virginia a little over a year ago, and posting to my blog wasn't high on my priority list! I will attempt to do better!

Here is a great Fall recipe that I happened to see on TV recently while waiting in a doctor's office.  I noted some changes that I made to the recipe.  Enjoy!

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Beefy Butternut Squash Chili 

Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Show: The Kitchen on the Food Network

For the Seasoning Blend:

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie spice, so I substituted ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon instead.) 
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper 

For the Chili:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 1 cup finely chopped Vidalia or sweet onions 
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 
• 3 garlic cloves, grated on a rasp or finely minced 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce like Frank's RedHot.  (I used Sriracha sauce.)
• 1 pound ground beef chuck (80 percent meat, 20 percent fat) 
• 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal 
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock 
• 1 1/2 cups red wine like an inexpensive Chianti.  (I believe that you shouldn’t use “cheap” wine when cooking.  If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it in your cooking.  I used a Malbec.)
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• Kosher salt 
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional (I didn’t use this because I used ground cinnamon in the spice mixture.)

Directions

Make the seasoning blend: In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat until it begins to swirl. Add the beef cubes and sprinkle with half of the seasoning blend. Cook, stirring intermittently, until the beef is browned on all sides but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the beef chunks with a slotted spoon and set on a plate
Build the flavor: Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste and hot sauce. Cook, stirring, until everything turns dark reddish brown, about 10 minutes.
Complete the chili: Add the ground beef and sprinkle with the remaining half of the seasoning blend. Cook, stirring, until the beef is browned, then add the reserved beef chunks back to the pot along with the cornmeal, stock, wine and squash. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the chili is thick and the liquid reduced, 40 to 50 minutes. Taste and season with another pinch of salt if needed, but the seasoning blend you've made should have this tasting perfect for you. If using cinnamon, add the stick 20 minutes before the chili is done, then remove before serving. Serve warm.  I served this with my Georgia Sweet Cornbread. (See the recipe under the “You CAN Go Home Again” heading on this blog.)

Here's another good dish for Autumn...

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₃ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
• 3- 3 ¹⁄₂ pounds boneless beef short ribs
• ¹⁄₄ cup butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup beef broth
• ³⁄₄ cup red wine vinegar
• ³⁄₄ cup brown sugar
• 1 14 ½ ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Put flour, salt and pepper in a bag.
2. Add ribs and shake to coat.
3. Brown ribs in butter in a large skillet.
4. Put in slow cooker.
5. In same skillet, combine remaining ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil, stirring.
7. Pour over ribs.
8. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.

Delicious and Easy Comfort Food!

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe, but this one was so good and so easy that I just had to post it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

 

I served this with mashed potatoes and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir... yumm! 

 

 

New Holiday Treats...

I love trying new recipes, especially during the holidays when there are so many occasions to EAT!  Here are a couple of "keepers" from this past holiday season...

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls (get the ones without the perforations if possible)
2 packages 8oz cream cheese
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup butter
cinnamon
sugar 

Preparation:
Unroll and spread 1 of the cans of crescent rolls on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (or 8 x 8 if you want to cut the recipe in half). Combine softened cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Spread over crescent roll layer. Unroll and layer remaining crescent rolls over cream cheese layer. Melt your butter and spread over top of crescent rolls. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 20-30 minutes in 350 degree oven until bubbly and slightly browned. Drizzle with a little honey if you like. Let cool a bit, slice and eat.

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Everyone from the South knows that you should eat black-eyed-peas on New Year's for good luck.  Here is a different way to serve them...

Black-Eyed-Pea Hummus

2½ cups dried black-eyed peas
(Note:  I used frozen peas and cooked them according to package directions.  Much easier!  One bag of frozen peas makes about 3 cups of hummus.)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for roasted garlic
4 heads garlic, ¼ inch cut off top to expose cloves
Olive oil, for roasted garlic
(Note:  I used the jar roasted, chopped garlic.  Again... much easier.)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for roasted garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried.)
1 sprig rosemary (I used dried.)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped chives (They didn't have chives at the grocery store, so I used chopped green onions.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

 (Note:  Skip first two steps if you are using frozen peas.)
1. Place peas in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain off liquid.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place drained peas in a large, heavy saucepan, cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer gently (lower heat if necessary) until peas are very soft, about 1 hour. About 15 minutes from end of cooking, stir in 1 tablespoon salt. When peas are done cooking, drain. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, roast garlic: Place garlic on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle cloves with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place thyme and rosemary atop garlic, then fold sides of foil to create a packet so garlic is enclosed. Place packet on baking sheet and roast until garlic cloves are golden and spreadably soft, 45 minutes.

4. Place peas in a food processor or blender. Squeeze garlic cloves out of roasted heads and add to peas. Blend peas and garlic just until you get a dry, coarse dough-like paste with lumps of whole peas in it. With motor running, pour olive oil into mixture, stopping as soon as it's incorporated and mixture looks like hummus. The texture should be somewhat lumpy.

5. Stir in cayenne, remaining salt, pepper, parsley, chives and lemon juice. 

Serve with pita, cut in wedges, brushed with olive oil, and toasted.  I also sprinkled a little sea salt on top of the pita wedges. 


—Adapted from Joseph Lenn of Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.

Holiday Goodies...

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, there's always an occasion for something sweet.  Here's a yummy treat that my friend, Kathy Brenner,  recently made for our book group.  It was a big hit!

Pumpkin Crunch Pie (Cake??)

1 (16 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar (you can cut it in half if you want it less sweet)
pumpkin pie spices:
   * 1 t. ground cinnamon
   * 1/2 t. ground ginger
   * 1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. salt
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow (or Spice) cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, melted
whipped topping (store bought or make your own)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease bottom of 13x9x2 pan.
2.  Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl.  Stir until well blended.  Pour into the pan.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture.  Top with pecans.  Drizzle with melted butter.
3.  Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until golden.  Cool completely.  Serve with whipped topping.  Refrigerate leftovers.

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I have always made sweet potato soufflé at Thanksgiving.  This year, I decided to "kick it up a notch."  I combined 3 different recipes and then tweaked things a bit until I came up with this...

Bourbon Bacon Sweet Potato Soufflé
Margaret Martin

Sweet potato mixture:
2 (40 oz) cans of sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (You can use fresh sweet potatoes and bake them, but I have found that canned sweet potatoes make a nice smooth mixture.  Plus, it's a lot easier!)
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
3 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup bourbon

Streusel:
1 cup dark or light brown sugar
3/4 t. kosher salt
1 stick butter, softened
6-7 strips thick cut maple bacon cooked, drained, and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray a 9x13 pan with oil and set aside. 
*In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, salt, and butter until small pea-size pieces form.  Add in the bacon and pecans and use your hands to form large crumbles.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
*In a small sauce pan, add the butter, orange juice, bourbon, and spices.  Bring to a simmer until the butter has melted and small bubbles start to form. Remove from the stove.
*Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl.  Pour in the butter/bourbon mixture and mix well.  Add the beaten eggs and sugar.  Mix well and pour into the prepared pan.
*Sprinkle the brown sugar/bacon/pecan mixture evenly on top of the soufflé.
*Bake until the top is slightly browned and the soufflé bubbles slightly...about 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.

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A Prairie Picnic...

I am a member of a local P.E.O. chapter here in Champaign, Illinois.  P.E.O. is a philanthropic educational organization that is filled with many talented women.  Our chapter also has some really good cooks!  We met recently to share a dinner and here are some of the delicious dishes we enjoyed…

Jelly Cookies

Kathy Kinser

1 pound  butter (4 sticks. I used unsalted)

6 heaping T. powdered sugar  (Make sure they are really heaping)

3 cups flour (unsifted)

2 t. vanilla

Cream the butter.  

Add powdered sugar.  Blend well

Add vanilla.

Add flour gradually until dough feels right and not too moist.

Make small balls (about 30 to 35 on an ungreased cookie sheet).

Make tiny well on top with finger.

Add about an eighth of a teaspoon of raspberry or other jam in the well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Make a half recipe if you don't want 12 dozen cookies.

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Mediterranean Kale 

Sheila Ott

24 Kale leaves, stems removed

9 t. olive oil

9 t. fresh lemon juice

1/2 t. salt

1 & 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

6 T. raw pine nuts

6 T. sliced black olives

Dash black pepper

1.  Stack 2 kale leaves, roll tightly, like a cigar and slice in thin strips crosswise.  Then chop strips crosswise a few times to shorten.

2.  Combine olive oil, lemon juice, & salt for dressing.

3.  With hands toss kale with dressing.

4.  Add other ingredients & marinate 10 minutes at room temperature.

Serves 10 and keeps for 3 days in refrigerator, sealed.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

                                                                         

Apple Slices with Nut Butter

Sheila Ott

1. Core & thinly slice apples

2. Dip slices in lemon juice to prevent browning

3. Drain slices on paper towels

4. Cover core hole of each slice with mint leaf (lemon balm or other)

5. Top leaf with a dab of nut butter(peanut,almond,cashew)

6. Into the nut butter push a nut and a raisin

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Raisins, and Cheddar Cheese

 Kathy Micek

Gluten Free.  20 minutes to prepare.  Serves 6

6 slices cooked bacon, chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped

¼ cup cranberries

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped red onion

¾ cup or less mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

2 T. white vinegar

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Mix all together and serve.

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Bourbon Corn Pudding 
Margaret Martin

(This recipe is also found under the blog archive on the right side of this blog under August, 2010, “Entertaining…”)

The first time I had this was at a wedding reception in Virginia. When I go to a covered dish dinner, people often request that I bring this.

Combine in a large bowl:
6 beaten eggs
8 oz. evaporated milk
3 cans (14 3/4 oz. size) cream corn - I prefer white corn
2 oz. bourbon
Combine separately and add:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 T. self-rising flour
pinch salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and melt 2 sticks of butter or margarine in a 9x12 pan. Pour corn mixture into pan. Bake at 350 degrees until set and brown on top (1 - 1 1/2 hrs.)

Note:  When doubling the recipe, add 3 ounces of bourbon.

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Joannie Michalos, via Cooks.com...

NEW SALEM CORN CASSEROLE
16 oz. whole kernel corn, drained 16 oz. cream style corn 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. butter, melted 1/2 c. sour cream 8 1/2 oz. box corn muffin mix 1 c. Cheddar cheese Mix all ingredients except half of Cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Put other half Cheddar cheese on top and bake 5 minutes more.

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Rice Salad
Nadja Alstetter

1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
salt & pepper
mayonnaise
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
green olives

Pour olive oil and vinegar over hot rice and cool.  Add sliced olives and mayonnaise to taste.  Add other ingredients.
Can substitute basil for parsley and black olives for green.